Tag: 2 Samuel

This is part of the 66 in 52 Bible Journaling Challenge. Over the course of the 52 weeks in 2018, I plan to focus in on one verse from each book of the Bible with many others who have signed up to join me. Each week I will be posting a summary page with some thought about that week’s book(s) of the Bible along with some links that may help our reflection. Click here to sign up if you want to join us at any point along the journey!

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The Big Picture of 2 Samuel:

As you could imagine, 2 Samuel picks up the narrative where 1 Samuel stops. The first book ends at the death of the first King. David hears about this event and grieves for Saul and his sons in the first chapter of 2 Samuel before being anointed as King. There is a split among the people though and David was only king over the people of Judah while one of Saul’s sons, Ish-bosheth was made the King of Israel. Eventually David was also anointed king of Israel and the rest of the book outlines various battles and situations David dealt with as king including some of his faults and sins. Solomon, David’s son, was also born in chapter 12 and when we pick up his story in the next book (1 Kings), he becomes the next King.

2 Samuel Events Mentioned in the Psalms:

Many of the events narrated in 1 and 2 Samuel are also mentioned in various Psalms (songs). You might consider reading some of these Psalms along side the events in Samuel. (List adapted from one found at esv.org)

2 Samuel 8 – Victory over many kings – Psalm 60

2 Samuel 11-12 – David’s sins of adultery and murder – Psalm 51

2 Samuel 15-17 – Absolom’s revolt – Psalm 3

2 Samuel 22 – Victory over all enemies – Psalm 18

A Few Key Verses and Possible Reflection Questions/Prayers:

Some of us are planning to read through the whole book each week, while others are just focusing in on one verse. This section of the weekly intro post might help you narrow down a verse to reflect on for the week, but you do not have to choose one of these verse, pick any section of the book you want! These are just some ideas.

“And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.” 2 Samuel 5:10REFLECTION: How does the fact that God is with you give you strength for what you have before you this week?

“Therefore you are great O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you. … And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people…” 2 Samuel 7:22-23REFLECTION: It’s one thing to say there is no one like God, but it’s also cool to see that there is no one like God’s chosen people! What does that mean to you?

“Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David sought the face of the Lord. …” 2 Samuel 21:1REFLECTION: What “famine” do you find yourself in currently? What situation are you in where you need to seek the face of God and what would that look like?

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my delieverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me.” 2 Samuel 22:2-3REFLECTION: Martin Luther is quoted as saying, “The heart of religion lies in its personal pronouns.” This seems to be a great example of the fact that God isn’t just a God, he is OUR God. Which of these descriptions of God in these verses is most meaningful to you today and why?

God’s Grace in 2 Samuel:

One of the most well known stories from 2 Samuel is the story of David and Bathsheba. In short, David commits adultery with Bathsheba and then when she becomes pregnant, arranges for the death of Bathsheba’s husband to cover it all up. He might have fooled some people around him, but he didn’t fool God and God sends David’s friend Nathan to call him out on his sin. While there are consequences of these decisions that don’t seem so gracious (including the death of that child), God wasn’t about to let David wander away like so many other leaders had done over time. He was prepared to call David out in order to call him back into relationship with Him. This reminds me of a new song out recently called Reckless Love. The bridge and chorus say this:

There’s no shadow You won’t light up
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down
Lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me

Some Other Resources:

The Challenge:

So now it’s your turn! Pick a verse and settle in this week, or read through the whole book. If you post any picture or blogs on social media, tag them with #66in52challenge so we can all share in this journey together!